Focus On Southfields: This south west London suburb is attracting families looking for value for money near Wimbledon

I edit our weekly residential section Hot Property, and I deputy edit Living magazine, recently awarded Property Supplement of the Year at the 2017 Property Press Awards. I also write features for Bespoke, our monthly luxury magazine, and I write for the Life & Style section, encompassing arts reviews, travel and food.

I won Consumer Magazine Property Journalist of the Year and Lifestyle & Interiors Journalist of the Year at the Property Press Awards 2017.

Follow Melissa

Revellers basking in the sunshine of the property gods in Southfields

Melissa York

The Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world, has geared up for another year. While it may commonly be known as Wimbledon, it’s actually a much quicker, more straightforward walk to get there from Southfields station.

This residential, leafy area is one of the most overlooked suburbs of London, but that’s slowly changing. Nearby Wimbledon Village and Putney have both proved so popular that house prices for family houses have risen exponentially within the past few years. As a result, many househunters looking for value per square foot are looking on the outskirts and Southfields has taken much of the overspill.

“The most sought after properties are the large Victorian houses found on the Southfields Grid and the Garden Roads – Gartmoor, Kingscliffe and Southdean,” says Faye Ellery, lettings director at Dexters Wimbledon.

“While it may not have the draw of Wimbledon Village with its boutiques and artisan bakeries, Southfields doesn’t have the price tag to match. The average cost of renting a two bedroom flat is £1,700pcm – a similar flat in Wimbledon would set you back at least £2,000pcm.”

Its conservative architecture is also appealing for those wanting a home counties house with central London on the doorstep. “Most of Southfields was modelled on a collection of Kent country villages with house builders importing rural charm to sell homes throughout the 1920s,” says David Fell, research analyst at estate agent Hamptons International.

It’s easy to see why families are drawn to the area, with quiet, tree-lined streets and a good selection of local schools, including a number of nurseries, well-rated primary schools and even a Montessori school near Wimbledon Park.

Largely, for city dwellers upsizing, it’s the access to a variety of green spaces and sporting facilities that proves the most attractive aspect. Wimbledon Common, King Georges Park and Wimbledon Park – which adds beach volley ball and an athletic track to its tennis credentials – surround the area, while Putney Heath, with its cricket ground, and London’s largest royal park, Richmond, are less than a 10 minute drive away.

“While it may not have the draw of Wimbledon Village with its boutiques and artisan bakeries, Southfields doesn’t have the price tag to match. The average cost of renting a two bedroom flat is £1,700pcm – a similar flat in Wimbledon would set you back at least £2,000pcm.”

Largely untouched by the Blitz, some houses have been converted into flats in recent years to house students from the nearby University of Roehampton, but the local authority has kept buy-to-lets under wraps. “With flat conversions somewhat restricted by the council, around 80 per cent of the area remains as charming family homes attracting couples upsizing from Fulham, Chiswick and Putney,” says Alexandra Masson, branch manager of John D Wood & Co. in Southfields.

“Consisting of the ‘Southfields Grid’, which is a series of parallel roads, and the ‘Pulborough Triangle’, buyers often tend to choose specific roads based on school catchment areas within its SW18 and SW19 postcodes.”

But it isn’t all professionals and prams. The area also has sizeable Aussie and Kiwi communities that have led to an influx of new pubs, shops and significantly more barbecues in Wimbledon Park.

“Over the last 10 years, Southfields has become its own destination,” says Watson Briggs, a sales manager at Foxtons. “Improvements to the tube station, new build developments, the introduction of an M&S food hall and many other new restaurants have made the area a real delight to live in and reduces any ‘compromise’ that Putney or Wimbledon buyers may have felt they were giving.”

Area highlights

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is, of course, a world-beating attraction and draws hordes of tennis fans, tourists and A-List celebrities to the area every year. But did you know that there’s a museum on site and tours will recommence from 22 July? A box of handmade DeRosier chocolates from Garratt Lane would make a great local gift (or indulgence) as well as a trip to the Earl Spencer, an Edwardian gastropub on Merton Road with vintage decorations and a large garden. For a quick bite, Southfields has its own branch of hipster sourdough pizza purveyors Franco Manca, while The Olive Garden is an informal, airy Italian restaurant much frequented by locals. Stretch out by the River Wandle in Wimbledon Park and stop by CraftedLondon for an art workshop, or the children’s soft play area (it’s currently undergoing a refurbishment and has set up shop in St Michael’s Church).

Area guide

House pricesSource: Zoopla

DETACHED

£1.121m

SEMI

£981,543

TERRACED

£870,767

FLATS

£448,354

Transport Source: TfL

Time to King’s Cross: 34 mins

Time to Liverpool Street: 44 mins

Nearest train station: Southfields

The Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world, has geared up for another year. While it may commonly be known as Wimbledon, it’s actually a much quicker, more straightforward walk to get there from Southfields station.

This residential, leafy area is one of the most overlooked suburbs of London, but that’s slowly changing. Nearby Wimbledon Village and Putney have both proved so popular that house prices for family houses have risen exponentially within the past few years. As a result, many househunters looking for value per square foot are looking on the outskirts and Southfields has taken much of the overspill.

“The most sought after properties are the large Victorian houses found on the Southfields Grid and the Garden Roads – Gartmoor, Kingscliffe and Southdean,” says Faye Ellery, lettings director at Dexters Wimbledon.

“While it may not have the draw of Wimbledon Village with its boutiques and artisan bakeries, Southfields doesn’t have the price tag to match. The average cost of renting a two bedroom flat is £1,700pcm – a similar flat in Wimbledon would set you back at least £2,000pcm.”

Its conservative architecture is also appealing for those wanting a home counties house with central London on the doorstep. “Most of Southfields was modelled on a collection of Kent country villages with house builders importing rural charm to sell homes throughout the 1920s,” says David Fell, research analyst at estate agent Hamptons International.

It’s easy to see why families are drawn to the area, with quiet, tree-lined streets and a good selection of local schools, including a number of nurseries, well-rated primary schools and even a Montessori school near Wimbledon Park.

Largely, for city dwellers upsizing, it’s the access to a variety of green spaces and sporting facilities that proves the most attractive aspect. Wimbledon Common, King Georges Park and Wimbledon Park – which adds beach volley ball and an athletic track to its tennis credentials – surround the area, while Putney Heath, with its cricket ground, and London’s largest royal park, Richmond, are less than a 10 minute drive away.

“While it may not have the draw of Wimbledon Village with its boutiques and artisan bakeries, Southfields doesn’t have the price tag to match. The average cost of renting a two bedroom flat is £1,700pcm – a similar flat in Wimbledon would set you back at least £2,000pcm.

Largely untouched by the Blitz, some houses have been converted into flats in recent years to house students from the nearby University of Roehampton, but the local authority has kept buy-to-lets under wraps. “With flat conversions somewhat restricted by the council, around 80 per cent of the area remains as charming family homes attracting couples upsizing from Fulham, Chiswick and Putney,” says Alexandra Masson, branch manager of John D Wood & Co. in Southfields.

De Rosiers chocolatier gearing up for Wimbledon

“Consisting of the ‘Southfields Grid’, which is a series of parallel roads, and the ‘Pulborough Triangle’, buyers often tend to choose specific roads based on school catchment areas within its SW18 and SW19 postcodes.”

But it isn’t all professionals and prams. The area also has sizeable Aussie and Kiwi communities that have led to an influx of new pubs, shops and significantly more barbecues in Wimbledon Park.

“Over the last 10 years, Southfields has become its own destination,” says Watson Briggs, a sales manager at Foxtons. “Improvements to the tube station, new build developments, the introduction of an M&S food hall and many other new restaurants have made the area a real delight to live in and reduces any ‘compromise’ that Putney or Wimbledon buyers may have felt they were giving.”

Area highlights

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is, of course, a world-beating attraction and draws hordes of tennis fans, tourists and A-List celebrities to the area every year. But did you know that there’s a museum on site and tours will recommence from 22 July? A box of handmade DeRosier chocolates from Garratt Lane would make a great local gift (or indulgence) as well as a trip to the Earl Spencer, an Edwardian gastropub on Merton Road with vintage decorations and a large garden. For a quick bite, Southfields has its own branch of hipster sourdough pizza purveyors Franco Manca, while The Olive Garden is an informal, airy Italian restaurant much frequented by locals. Stretch out by the River Wandle in Wimbledon Park and stop by CraftedLondon for an art workshop, or the children’s soft play area (it’s currently undergoing a refurbishment and has set up shop in St Michael’s Church).